Trump Takes Stand in NY Fraud Trial, Delivers Combative Testimony Calling Case "Witch Hunt"

Donald Trump took the witness stand in the New York civil fraud trial threatening his business empire, delivering combative and rambling testimony that prompted Judge Arthur Engoron to repeatedly admonish him to keep his answers short and responsive. Trump used the witness stand as a platform to attack Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Engoron, calling the case a “political witch hunt” and claiming “the fraud is on the court, not on me.” Engoron told Trump multiple times, “This is not a political rally,” and at one point asked Trump’s attorneys, “I beseech you to control him if you can.” The testimony represented a remarkable moment where a former president facing potential loss of his business empire openly defied a judge while under oath, demonstrating Trump’s unwillingness to show deference to judicial authority even when his financial future hung in the balance.

Trump’s testimony focused on defending his financial statements and dismissing the fraud allegations that formed the core of the case. He claimed banks “paid no attention” to his statements of financial condition and conducted their own due diligence, attempting to absolve himself of responsibility for the inflated valuations documented in the lawsuit. When questioned about specific property valuations—such as claiming his Trump Tower penthouse was 30,000 square feet when it was actually 10,996 square feet—Trump evaded direct answers and launched into speeches about his business acumen. He insisted his properties were actually undervalued rather than overvalued, contradicting the evidence presented throughout the trial including testimony from his own former CFO Allen Weisselberg and former attorney Michael Cohen that Trump directed them to inflate asset values.

Gag Order Violations and Courtroom Drama

Trump’s testimony came weeks after he had violated Judge Engoron’s gag order multiple times, resulting in $15,000 in fines. In October, Trump had been fined $10,000 for making disparaging comments about Engoron’s law clerk, and was previously fined $5,000 for similar violations. During one October hearing, Trump was unexpectedly called to the witness stand to explain his gag order violations, and Engoron found his testimony “not credible.” Trump had also stormed out of the courtroom during Michael Cohen’s testimony in late October, visibly frustrated by his former attorney’s damaging testimony about how Trump directed the asset inflation scheme. Cohen testified that Trump asked him to “reverse engineer” asset valuations to reach arbitrary numbers Trump had selected, directly implicating Trump in systematic fraud.

The trial featured testimony from multiple Trump family members and associates. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump both testified about their roles in the Trump Organization, though prosecutors noted the Trump sons had limited knowledge of the fraudulent valuation schemes. Ivanka Trump, who had been removed as a defendant, also testified though she claimed minimal recollection of key transactions. Cohen provided particularly damaging testimony, explaining in detail how Trump Organization executives structured fraudulent financial statements and how Trump personally directed the inflation of property values to secure better loan terms and insurance rates.

Significance

Trump’s combative testimony and open defiance of Judge Engoron illustrated his broader strategy of treating legal proceedings as political theater and refusing to show contrition or accept responsibility for documented fraud. His behavior on the witness stand—delivering political speeches, attacking the judge and attorney general, and evading questions—demonstrated contempt for judicial process and likely influenced Judge Engoron’s eventual February 2024 ruling that characterized Trump’s lack of remorse as “bordering on pathological.” The testimony occurred as Trump was campaigning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and he used his court appearances to reinforce his narrative of political persecution. However, Trump’s performance on the stand may have undermined his legal position: his evasiveness and hostility made him appear dishonest, and his claims that banks didn’t rely on his financial statements contradicted banking witnesses’ testimony that they indeed relied on Trump’s representations. The trial exposed Trump’s business practices to unprecedented public scrutiny, with daily coverage of testimony revealing systematic fraud spanning decades. Trump’s willingness to attack a sitting judge while on the witness stand marked a new escalation in his attacks on judicial independence and rule of law, presaging his later efforts to undermine court decisions and judicial authority during his 2025 presidency. The testimony ultimately did not prevent Judge Engoron from issuing a $454 million judgment against Trump in February 2024, finding Trump had committed massive fraud and showed no willingness to reform his business practices.